As part of an exercise to streamline the range of the Nissan Pulsar (known as the Nissan Sylphy to Malaysians), Nissan Australia is set to introduce the Pulsar SSS variant as part of the Pulsar Series II update at the end of April.
Aside from the introduction of the aforementioned variant, the entire Pulsar range will witness a price reduction as well as the inclusion of added safety and standard features. Beginning from the bottom, the range now kicks off with the Pulsar ST with the mid-range ST-L sitting above. At the very top, the Pulsar SSS replaces the slow-selling Ti variant – all three trim levels are offered on the sedan and hatch models.
The highlight of the SSS variant is the inclusion of the 1.6 litre DIG turbocharged petrol engine. Said mill pumps out a total of 188 hp and 240 Nm of torque and is mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or Nissan’s trademark Xtronic CVT.
Spec-wise, the SSS model carries over the same amount of kit from the Ti while adding on a bodykit and reverse sensors. Prices begin at AUD$25,990 (RM73,120) for the manual-equipped hatch and tops out at AUD$29,290 (RM82,404) for the CVT-equipped sedan.
Further down the range, the mid-range ST-L sedan receives a 5.8-inch touchscreen head unit with navigation and Bluetooth connectivity from the SSS variant. The cheaper ST-L hatch loses out on most of the goodies bar the reverse sensors. The ST-S variant, on both body styles, has been dropped from the range.
On the local front, the CBU (from Thailand) B17 Nissan Sylphy was launched more or less a year ago with a single engine option – a 1.8 litre MRA8DE four-cylinder mill with 131 PS and 174 Nm of torque was hooked up to Nissan’s Xtronic CVT. Two variants are on sale with prices beginning at RM119,900 OTR without insurance for the base E-spec, the VL goes for RM121,900.
